Traditional Hungarian Homemade Sausage (Kolbász)

Ingredients

• 5 kg pork shoulder
• 2 kg pork belly
• 500 g pork back fat (optional)
• 140 g salt
• 30 g sweet Hungarian paprika
• 20 g hot Hungarian paprika (optional)
• 25 g freshly ground black pepper
• 25 g crushed garlic
• 10 g ground caraway seeds
• 5 g marjoram
• 150 ml cold water
• Natural hog casings

Instructions

1. Cut the pork and fat into cubes and chill well.
2. Grind the meat using a medium grinder plate.
3. Add the salt, paprika, pepper, garlic, caraway, marjoram, and cold water.
4. Mix thoroughly until the meat becomes sticky and evenly seasoned.
5. Rinse and soak the hog casings, then stuff them with the meat mixture, avoiding air pockets.
6. Twist into long links or coils.
7. Hang the sausages in a cool place for 12–24 hours to dry slightly.
8. Smoke with cold smoke for 1–3 days if desired.
9. Cook, grill, or pan-fry until fully cooked, or store the smoked sausages in a cool place for later use.